If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

View Poll Results: What percentage of SW figures do you think are bought by kids?

Kids dont buy action figures anymore

I have a little brother,and lived on a few millitary bases thru highschool. THere are lots of childeren that live in base houseing. but, mabey my opinion only applies to the modern millitary family. But, from what iv sean, Kids dont buy action figures as much as they used to. When I was 4 to 10, I bought action figures to play with, then to collect afterward. By the time I reached highschool, things had clearly changed as far as who bought action figures. I saw pepole my age and older buying them for collections,but almost never saw childeren playing with them like I did when I was growing up. Kids dont play sports as much as they did when I was younger eather. So thats not it. So what are kids doing now with what money they can get or get there parents to spend? Simple. There playing the new high tech video games. I dont feal that childeren are as emaginitve or creative anymore . There rased by TV even more than my generation was.

So what are kids doing now with what money they can get or get there parents to spend? Simple. There playing the new high tech video games. I dont feal that childeren are as emaginitve or creative anymore . There rased by TV even more than my generation was.

To be fair ,I should also say, that playing changes . for instance, when my dad and grandfather were growing up, they didnt have action figures at all. I heard alot that I should play more sports when I was younger. I did play, but not as much as they did. Im the more creative person type myself so action figures (and my scetch book) were more fun for me. I could wander the univers with the vintage star wars figures, or explore the new york city sewers with the teenage mutant ninja turtles or hunt after ghosts with the ghost busteres ( anyone remember them besides me?) with mabey 20 dollars worth of toys, and a million boxes and pipes to serve as anything from vehicles to biuldings and god knows what ells. ANYWAY, enough about memmory laine. To any kids who Might read this, (My little brother has ben surffing the net since he was 4, so its possible) Im not saying Im better than you because when I was your age, bla bla bla. But I am saying times have changed. and that creativity isnt as important as being up on the latest technoledgy now. The world has changed alot since I was born and I was only born 22 years ago in 1980!

I'm not saying this to insult anyone, but who in their right mind is voting for these percentages greater than 40%? Have you seen that many kids hanging out by the SW aisle counting their pennies hoping that they have enough to get that rare SW figure that's left on the peg?

I think the percentage is less than 20%. Probably closer to 10%. It is so rare for me to see any kid grabbing a figure off the peg or even just looking through the racks to see what's there. Just face the fact that it's the adult collectors (OK, there are a minority of teenage collectors on SSG) who're buying the HUGE bulk of SW stuff.

If Hasbro finally got out of denial about this maybe we'd all be better off.

Last edited by Mandalorian Candidat; 08-25-2003 at 03:49 PM.

"I'm just a YES man trying to make my way in the universe." - Jango McCallum

"Good dialogue and smooth editing are no match for a good YES man by your side, kid." - George Lucas

I'm not saying this to insult anyone, but who in their right mind is voting for these percentages greater than 40%?

I think the percentage is less than 20%. Probably closer to 10%. It is so rare for me to see any kid grabbing a figure off the peg or even just looking through the racks to see what's there. Just face the fact that it's the adult collectors (OK, there are a minority of teenage collectors on SSG) who're buying the HUGE bulk of SW stuff.

If Hasbro finally got out of denile about this maybe we'd all be better off.

I hear ya MC. I almost never see kids buying SW, or for that matter parents looking to buy SW for their kids. If the choice or under 20%, or 10% and under were given I certainly would have voted for that. In my experience, it probably closer to 5 %. And I go to 20+ stores a week covering a range of about 200 square miles, so I can speak on a higly informed level.

SW collectibles are NOT for kids. (Well the toys are made for kids, but they are not buying them!)

I agree with you all. Kids are spending most there time playing video games and collectors mostly being adults. (heck whenever i go to wm or kb's there is never ANYONE looking at the sw toys. of course i do live in idaho, and no i dont grow potatoes) ahh yes ninja turtles that brings back memories haha.I still have my old turtles, those were the days. but then my brother and i really got into star wars. so i am just 17 but our collection just reached over 150 figures with 10 vehicles most purchased with our own money (mom and dad didnt support a obsession so much). Ha! when i was about 14 and had a paper route i would just take my money onto ebay and buy the rare figures. like dark trooper etc untill my mom banned me from ebay .

I picked less than 30%, but I actually thinkit is less than 20%. I never see kids near the SW pegs. Always older collectors or scalpers. The only kid I ever see buying SW is my step son and he only gets them because Icollect them(not trying to sound like a Martyr or something.)

I have almost never seen a child looking at the Star Wars toys in the past 3 years. They've always been people at least in their 20's. I would have voted for "Less than 10%" if it was an option. I've seen kids with the toy light sabers so those do sell. But the figs -- definately less than 10%.

I saw a 10 - 12 year old kid at KayBee once that was thumbing through the pegs with me. His parents were standing nearby watching over things. I started talking to him. This kid knew EVERYTHING about Star Wars toys. He started rattling off things that I didn't think he had enough years in him to know - the scalping horrors of '95 - '97 (when he was about 4 or 5), how hard it was (at first) to get an orange carded Leia, the tan vest Luke, black vest Maul, who he voted for as fan's choice, etc.

It was shocking; at the same time it was heartening. Knowing that the fire still burns in some of the younger generation is comforting and hopefully he has plenty of friends who are into it like he is.

Was this kid the exception or the rule? I'd have to go with "the exception." I travel quite a bit and in my travels hit anything that looks like it might sell Star Wars figures. I can count on both hands how many times I've seen someone under 17 going through the pegs in the past 3 years.

'Tis a sad statement, but a true one that kids just don't dig on action figures like they used to - not just Star Wars figures either. Their time is taken up with DVD's, video games, and other things that don't particularly require much imagination to interact with. I think with all the scene specific, pre-posed characters we've been seeing for the past couple of years, toy makers are aware of this fact and are trying to make it easier to play with their figures while reducing the amount of actual imagination required.

I'd have to go with less than 20% of "kids" buy ANY action figures - not just Star Wars. I wish more kids were involved in our mutual hobby because that would ensure a longer life to the product line. I just don't think it's the case, though.